Surgical garment



Feb. 5, 1952 E. K. McDowELl.

SURGICAL GARMENT 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Filed Feb. 4, 1948 knullig #wf/mw? 57795? K. Mc Dau/Eu 1?/ /afl H Feb. 5, 1952 Fil'ed Feb. 4, 1948 E. K. MCDOWELL 2,584,279

Bf y1. 2mb-M Patented Feb. 5, 1952 SURGIILAL GARMENT Esther K. McDowell, Minneapolis, Minn., assignerl to Esther K. Leggate, New Galilee, Pa.

Application February 4, 1948, Serial No. 6,251

This invention has relation to a surgical-or i' supporting garment in the nature of a corset.

An object `of the invention is to provide a surgical or supporting garment of new and improved construction adapted to the purpose ofv comfortably supporting the abdomen of a wearer.

A further object is to provide a garment of the present character which will incorporate A desirable and improved features and character-.f n istics of construction devised to be useful in the A'support of the abdomen of a wearer, aswell as in the connning of the hips.

And a further object is to provide a surgical or supporting corset which will include features and characteristics as hereinafter set forth.

In the'accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a surgical garment made according to the invention with parts situated as when applied to a'wearers body, hose supporting straps of the surgical gar .ment-being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the disclosure of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the surgical garment as when spread outvfiat;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding generally with uneV disclosure of Fig. s, but snowing front side sections or aps of the surgical garment situated l asjwhen applied to a wearers body; and

`Fig. 5 is a'view corresponding generally with the disclosures of Figs. 3 and 4, but showing said front side sections or flaps and a belt or waist band of said surgical garment situated as when z applied to a wearers body.

' "Ihe surgical' garment includes rearside sec- `v tions, denoted I and II, respectively, the one "right and the other left, having their interior 'edge portions joined to each Other by adjust-vv able lacing 30 extending longitudinally of said surgical garment for its fulllength and adapted i to lie at the center of a wearers back when the surgical garment is in' applied position. Each 'of the rear side sections I0 and II will be of.;

sufficient length to extend from position several inches above the waist line to position somewhat below the hips, and each of said rear side sections includes an interior longitudinally'extending' portion I2. adapted to besituated at therear of a wearer `and an exterior longitudinally extending portion I 3 adaptedto be situated at a side and over'a hip of a wearer.

Front 'side sections or naps, represented I4 and respectively, vjoin the exterior longitudinally l extending portions I3 of the rear side sections I0 and II. Each of said front side sections or flaps has length in the disclosure as made which is coextensive with the length of the rear side section to which it is connected, and said rear side sections are of equal length. The front side sectionsor flaps I4 and I5 do not meet. Instead, they will be relatively situated about as disclosed in the drawings when the surgical garment is in applied position upon a wearer.v See Fig. 4.

A belt or waist band I6, at an upper partei `tlie'frontof the surgical garment and disposed forwardly or outwardly of the iront side sections or naps I5 and I5, includes opposite side edges which join upper parts oi the exterior longithe left side Aof a and free end tudinally extending portions I3 of said rear side sections I0 'andIL In the disclosure as made, the upper edge of said belt or waist band is intended to terminate at about the waist line, but'could, however, terminate somewhat above the waist line. The lower edge of the center front ofthe belt or waist band I6 is intended to terminate at about the pubis bone, and the lower edge of said belt orwaist band is down- -wardly curved to follow the contour of the lower portion of the abdomen in such manner that the belt or waist-band can serve as an abdominal supporter. Said belt or waist band is constituted as two separate sections of material. More explicitly, the belt or waist band is openable at wearer, its separate sections being fastened by disengageable hooks and eyes, indicated I1, which extend along a line disposed crosswis'ev of said belt or waist band.

Anauxiliary support includes a piece of nonkelastic webbing having' an intermediate. part thereof secured, as at I8, to a lower midportion of the center `front" of the belt or waist band I6 parts I9, I9 thereof at opposite sides of said midportion. The auxiliary support or non-elastic webbing is at and adjacent to the lower edge of said belt or waist band. The free end parts I9, I9 extend in` direction toward the opposite ends of the belt or waist band I6 and terminate in considerably spaced relation to said opposite ends. Buckles secured upon the free end parts I9, I9 are designated 20, 20, and an adjusting strap, encircling the surgical garment and having its opposite ends removablyaassembled with said buckles`20,'2, is denoted 2i. .An intermediatehportion of said adjusting strapr 2l extends through loops22 secured to thevouter .or rearward side of the interior longitudinally ment are represented 33.

extending portions I2 at elevation of the lower edge somewhat above the elevation of the belt or waist band I6.

The auxiliary support or non-elastic webbing may be of any shape considered desirable to care for various conditions, and may be cupped to greater or less extent to conform to the shape of supporting straps can be applied to said surgical front s ide sections of flaps I4 and I5, includes opposite side edges which join lower parts or the `exterior longitudinally extending portions I3 of the rear side sections I6 and I I. The upper edge portion of said hip reducing means or thigh control 23 is adapted to overlie the lower edge portion of said belt or waist band I6' and underlie the free end parts of' the auxiliary support or non-elastic webbing, and comp-lemental snap.

fasteners 24, 24, upon an upper portion of an intermediate part of the hip reducing means or thigh control and the belt or waist band, are for detachably securing said hip reducing means or thigh control and saidv belt or waist band to each other'. The lower edges of opposite end parts of the hip reducing means or thigh control 23 terminate at about the lower edges of the exterior longitudinally extending portions I3 of the rear side sections I0 and II, and the lower edge of an f intermediate part of said hip reducing means or thigh control is upwardly curved about as dis- The hip reducing means or thigh control is constituted as three separate sections of material.

closed in the drawings.

More explicitly, said hip reducing means or thigh control is openable at the left side of a wearer, rst and second of its separate sections, represented 25 and 26, respec- 1;' tively, being fastened together by disengageable hooks and eyes, designated 2l, which extend along a line disposed crosswise oi the hip reducing means or thigh control and a third vof its separate sections, denoted 28, being adjustably fastened to the second separate section 26 by an adjustable elastic lacing cord 29` along a line disposed crosswise of said hip reducing means or thigh control.

tudinally extending portions I3, I3 of the rear side sections II and I0, respectively, at the outer or forward sides of the front side sections or fiaps I4 and I5, the elastic lacing cord 29 is adapted to be disposed centrally at the front of a wearer, directly opposite the adjustable lacing 30, and the complemental snap fasteners 24, 24 are situated at opposite sides of and adjacent to said elastic lacing cord 2g, as well as at opposite sides of and adjacent to the attached part of the auxiliary support or non-elastic webbing, beneath the free end parts I9, I9.

The rear side sections It and II include usual boning or covered stays 3l extending substantially longitudinally of said rear side sections, and

`v the belt or waist band I8 includes usual boning or Desirably. the hose H The first and third separate sections 25 and 28 are secured to the exterior longigarment at about the locations as disclosed in the drawings. As shown, a pair of hose supporting-straps extend downwardly from the lower edge of the belt or waist band I6, a single hose supporting strap extends downwardly from the lower edge of each of the front side sections or naps, and a single hose supporting strap extends downwardly from the lower edge of each of the exterior longitudinally extending portions lf3.; In all, the illustrated embodiment of the invention incorporates six hose supporting straps 33.

The front side sections or flaps I4 and I 5 are oi sufficient widths at their lower portions to protect the thighs, and upper portions of said front side sections or flaps are adapted to lie beneath the hooks. and eyes I 'l which detachably connect the separable sections of the belt or waist band I5.

The belt or waist band I6 and the hip reducing means or thigh control 23 operate independently inthe performance of their intended functions. Stated differently, said hip reducing means or thigh control, below the belt or waistband I5 and the auxiliary support, is for the accomplishment of an independent adjustment of the lower portion of the surgical garment.

The lacing at the back of the surgical garment is for accomplishing adjustment tov the iigure of a wearer, as well as for drawing in the abdomen, and the auxiliary support is adapted to be drawn inwardly and upwardly by the adjusting strap 2l to give additionalrabdominal support. By tightening of said adjusting strap, the weight of theabdomen can be supported by said auxiliary support and carried from the body of a wearer with distribution of the'supporting` eiort across the back and over the hips of the wearer. :At the saine time, the lower portion of the belt or waist band IIS,` retained in abdominal supporting position bythe auxiliary support, will constitute an entity through the medium of which said auxiliary support applies its supporting effort to the abdomen.

What is claimed is:

In a surgical garment of the type described, the combination of a pair of non-elastic-rear side sections having y opposing edges, an adjustable ilexible lacing for positioning-said opposing edges with respect to eachother, iront side iiaps integrallyv connected to outer edges. of said rear side sections from top to bottom oi?v said sections, a non-elastic waist band integrally connected -to said outside edges of said rear sections adjacent the connection of said front naps thereto and extending .from position near the top of saidrear side sections to position near the center thereof, said waist band consisting of two separate pieces of material overlapping each other., means for detachably securing said separate overlapping pieces of said waist band to each other, a nonelastic auxiliary support having Va central portion thereof secured to a central lower front portion of said waist band andhaving free end vparts thereof extending outwardly from said central portion, an adjusting strap encircling the garment, means constituted as loopsv xed to an outersurface of said rear sections above said auxiliary support for 'supporting said adjusting strap, means` constituted as buckles secured to v outer portions of said free end parts for adj ustably fastening ,said lstrap with respect to said auxiliary support, a non-elastic thigh control member integrally connected to outer' edges of said rear side'sections adjacent the connection of said front side naps and extending from position slightly above a lower edge of said waist band to position'adjacent the bottom of said rear side section-s and consisting of two strips of material each having opposing edges spaced from the other` strip edge and an adjustable elastic lacing for positioning said opposing edges with respect to each other, one of said strips of material making up said thigh control member consisting of two overlapping pieces, and means for detachably fastening said two overlapping pieces of said thigh control to each other.

ESTHER K. MCDOWELL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES 'PATENTS Number Name Date 1,770,477 Bnswanger July 15, 1930 1,785,162 White Dec. 16, 1930 1,817,236 Cohen Aug. 4, 1931 1,923,112 Nickerson Aug. 22, 1933 2,104,669 ODell Jan. 4, 1938 2,125,185 Koford July 26, 1938 2,283,108 Versoy May 12, 1942 2,306,546 Kispert Dec. 29, 1942 

